Law Enforcement Program Trainers
CALIFORNIA
Steve Carillo
State Director
California State Director, Steve Carillo
Steve has 28 years of experience as a Police Officer. He started with the Marina Department of Public Safety, and then moved to the Lodi Police Department in 1991. He is currently a Lieutenant with the Lodi Police Department. Steve has 30 years of experience training both Police and civilian K-9 teams. He was a K-9 Handler for 13 years handling a Rottweiler and Dutch Shepherd. During which time he had over 125 K-9 apprehensions. He has trained K-9 teams in patrol service, narcotics, and article searches.
Steve has also been instrumental in helping law enforcement agencies develop and implement K-9 Units into their departments. This included helping to write the department K-9 policy, K-9 and handler selection, as well as K-9 training. Steve has also helped to develop training and use policies for departments on how and when to deploy K-9s with SWAT.
Steve has been a member of the Western States Police Canine Association since 1986. He has held the offices of vice-president and President. He continues to judge at WSPCA trials. He has been a POST certified K-9 trainer since 1993.
Click here for more on Steve Carillo
CA LEP Region 1
Dave Stambaugh
Regional K-9 Trainer
Dave Stambaugh is a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department. Dave is an active K-9 handler and has been assigned to Metropolitan Division K-9 Unit for the past 12 years. Dave assisted in the development and implementation of the Los Angeles Police Department’s tracking and trailing program. Working both GSD and Bloodhound tracking/trailing dogs. Dave has instructed hundreds of handlers throughout the United States at various K-9 seminars in the areas of perimeters, off-leash search tactics, e-collar use, search team tactics and command post operations. Dave has handled hundreds of major incidents including OIS scenes and SWAT deployments during his tenure as a handler in Metropolitan Division K-9 Unit.
Dave has attended numerous advanced handler courses and SWAT/K-9 operations. He is a California POST certified K-9 team evaluator and has attended advanced decoy seminars. For the past three years he has judged at the Riverside County K-9 trails.
Dave was an assistant trainer for the Metropolitan K-9 Unit for 6 years. His duties included testing and selecting patrol dogs for the unit, training new handlers and dogs. He was also responsible for facilitating training for the in-service K-9 teams on a nightly basis and problem solving for those teams as well.
Jeff Miller
Regional K-9 Trainer
Jeff Miller has 21 years of law enforcement experience with the Los Angeles Police Department. Jeff has worked with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Metropolitan K-9 unit for the past 12 years where he is currently an Assistant Trainer. He is a recognized department expert in K-9 search team tactics, perimeter command and control, and off leash K-9 search techniques. He has handled hundreds of command post operations for major events including officer involved shootings and SWAT operations. He was instrumental in the development of the Los Angeles Police Departments Gun Detection Program. Jeff is successful in instructing K-9 handlers with the proper use of the E-Collar. He has attended numerous advanced K-9 trainer’s schools and seminars and is a Certified California POST AICC Instructor.
Jeff is an active K-9 Handler, assigned both a patrol and detection canine. His responsibilities include the selection and training of new canines as well as certification of new K-9 handlers. He is also responsible for training and problem solving for all in service certified K-9 teams.
CA LEP Region 2
Marty Mahon
Regional K-9 Trainer
Marty is a police sergeant with the South San Francisco Police Department, located in the Bay Area. He has been a K-9 handler for over 9 years and is currently the head trainer of the K-9 unit, which consists of 5 dual-purpose K-9 teams. Marty and his K-9 have been assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration, San Francisco Field Division, interdiction team for 3 years, and responsible for interdiction of drugs and drug money entering and leaving the Bay Area of California. Marty specializes in parcel and airport interdictions with numerous seizures of drug proceeds and drugs.
Marty is a K-9 evaluator for the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), and a judge and evaluator for the Western States Police Canine Association. Marty provides consultation to K-9 units & teams in the Bay Area in patrol and narcotics detection.
Mike Waller
Regional K-9 Trainer
Mike has been a Deputy Sheriff with the Solano County Sheriff’s Office for over 14 years, with ten of those years as a K-9 handler. In 2001, Mike assisted in the implementation of Solano County Sheriff’s Office first canine unit. Mike has been training dogs for over 15 years. The last seven years Mike has been the Head Trainer for the Sheriff’s Office and the Benicia Police Department. In that time he has trained close to a hundred dogs for narcotic detection, explosives detection, jail contraband, and patrol certification for various agencies.
Currently Mike is working his second K-9, Richter. They are assigned to patrol and both are members of the SWAT team. Mike is a current member, judge, and evaluator for the Western States Police Canine Association. He is also a P.O.S.T. certified K-9 evaluator. Through his extensive training and experience he has been recognized in Superior Court as a subject matter expert in K-9 handling and training. Mike is also one of the founders and President of SLECT, Solano Law Enforcement K-9 Teams, a nonprofit association to honor and enhance the abilities of all law enforcement K-9 teams located within Solano County.
Chris Michaelis
Helper/Decoy
Chris has been an decoy and agitator for the South San Francisco Police Department for 13 years. He has attended numerous agitator classes and has been certified as a K-9 evaluator.
Chris enjoys working with police dogs and helping them train to become proficient at their jobs.
CA LEP Region 3
Brett Smith
Regional K-9 Trainer
Brett has over thirty years of experience training working dogs. Prior to becoming a police officer, Brett owned a large kennel in Reno, NV for ten years. During those years he worked as a dog trainer for the public. He was then hired on by the Sparks NV Police Department. In 1990 Brett transferred to the Chico Police Department. Brett was instrumental in establishing Chico’s first K-9 unit and he became the City’s first K-9 handler in 1996.
Brett is currently assigned to patrol and is working with his second dog, Bak. Brett is a member of the W.S.P.C.A. Brett and Bak have won over 100 awards competing in Police K-9 trials.
Brad Meyer
Regional K-9 Trainer
Brad has over 10 years experience training law enforcement K-9s. He is currently a K-9 handler with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office assigned to patrol with my third dog. Brad has handled a sole purpose narcotics detection K-9, duel purpose patrol/narcotics detection K-9, and he is currently handling a duel purpose patrol/explosive detection K-9. He was instrumental in establishing a K-9 unit for the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office and became the County’s first K-9 handler. He also helped write and establish the departments K-9 policy. Brad has selected and helped train K-9s for the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office.
He is a K-9 evaluator for Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). He has been a SWAT team member and attended the FBI basic SWAT school. Brad has received hundreds of hours in basic and advanced K-9 training and has helped teach basic decoy and agitator classes.
CA LEP Region 4
Gregg Tawney
Regional K-9 Trainer
Gregg has over 20 years of experience as a K-9 trainer. He has fourteen years of law enforcement experience and is currently a trainer and K-9 handler for the Elk Grove Police Department. Gregg has worked three dual purpose dogs trained in patrol and narcotics. Gregg has been a swat team member, swat team leader, and tactical commander. He has spent weeks training with the Dutch police and the KNPV. Gregg is responsible for breeding, selecting and training numerous police dogs. He is the Vice President for the WSPSA and serves as a judge for the Western States Police K-9 Association and the SDA, Service Dogs of America. Gregg is a POST certified K-9 evaluator. His canine experience and extensive education have made him recognized by POST as a subject matter expert.
Click here for more on Gregg Tawney.
Brian Schopf
Regional K-9 Trainer
Brian has been a K-9 handler for over 14 years and served as a department trainer for 6 years. He is currently a handler / trainer for the Elk Grove Police Department.Prior to Elk Grove, Brian served as a handler and the trainer for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. He has worked 4 patrol dogs with 2 of them being cross trained for patrol/narcotics detection. He has served on the board for Western States Police Canine Association (WSPCA) for two terms. He has decoyed, judged and competed in many police K-9 trials, winning several awards in the process.
Brian is a Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) certified evaluator and a WSPCA certified narcotics detection evaluator. Brian has experience training patrol deployments, narcotics detection, tracking and articles/evidence.
James Murphy
Assistant K-9 Trainer
James Murphy began his career in 1996 at a municipal police department in California. James started working with police service dogs in 1997. James is currently assigned to field operations with a dual purpose Shepherd trained in protection and narcotics. James is a canine evaluator for the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST). He is also a respected member of the Western States Police Canine Association.
Jesse Gutierrez
Assistant K-9 Trainer
Jesse has been a police officer at a large central valley agency in California for 9 years. He has been a K-9 handler for 5 years. Jesse and hisK-9 have several arrests and agency assists to their credit. Jesse assisted with developing tactical K9 training for his agencies SWAT team. He is a member of the W.S.P.C.A. and he has won several awards competing in the Police K9 trials.
Jesse has attended and completed several K-9 courses including S.K.I.D.D.S/C.A.T.S, Tactical Tracker Teams, and the International K-9 Conference. Jesse has also completed several hours of instruction at the Police K-9 H.I.T.S, Law Dogs, and W.S.P.C.A Conferences.
Nathan Lybarger
Assistant K-9 Trainer
Nathan has eight years experience in training working dogs for sport and police services. He is employed by a Sheriff’s Office in northern California where he handles a dual purpose K-9 and is assigned to their SWAT team as a tactical K-9 operator. Nathan has traveled to the Netherlands where he trained with Dutch Police K-9 teams and members of the KNPV.
Nathan has imported, selected, bred and trained dogs for police agencies throughout Central California. Nathan is a member of the Western States Police Canine Association (WSPCA), Service Dogs of America (SDA), National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) and President of the Yuba County Deputy Sheriff’s K-9 Association. Nathan is a California POST certified K-9 evaluator.
Jeff Schmidtke
HRD Handler/Helper/Decoy
Jeff retired from the military as Army Ranger Sniper, during his duty with army he was stationed in multiple international location including Germany, Panama, and Iraq (Desert Storm). It was there that he received extensive tactical combat training.
Since his time in the military Jeff has become a certified Human Remains Detection Dog Handler for VCSi. He is available to assist in search and rescue operations around the U.S. and abroad. He is also a multi-purpose K-9 training Helper/ Decoy.
Bryan Fritsch
Helper/Decoy
Bryan has 14 years law enforcement experience and is currently a Police Officer with the City of Citrus Heights. Bryan has worked two Police dogs and continues to train and handle dogs for police and sport work. Bryan supervised the K-9 unit at his former department and was instrumental in developing the departments canine policy. Bryan has been a SWAT team member and deployed with his K-9 on several SWAT missions. Bryan has competed and decoyed in several Western States Police Canine competitions as well as SKIDDS trials. Bryan is an experienced handler and decoy always searching for the most advanced training techniques.
CA LEP Region 5
John White
Regional K-9 Trainer
John has worked for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for over twelve years. He was selected as one of the first K-9 handlers when the agency established their eight-dog patrol dog program in 2005. John also trained civilian dogs prior to working a cross-trained patrol/narcotics dogs. John was a member if an Interdiction Unit working with many state and federal agencies. He also has an expertise of hidden compartments in vehicles and a court recognized expert in narcotics detection. John was responsible for seizing numerous narcotics and currency, totaling in the millions of dollars.
John is a K-9 evaluator for the Peace Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). He is a member of the Western States Police Canine Association (W.S.P.C.A.) and has won over fifty awards competing in K-9 trials throughout the western states. John was the top W.S.P.C.A. narcotics detection team for 2009 and 2010.
John also worked with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Unit on many deployments throughout the bay area. He also was instrumental in the development of tactical canine scenarios in Urban Shield. John has numerous street apprehensions and an expertise in police dog tracking/trailing. He also founded the Alameda County Sheriff K-9 Association.
Mike Popp
Regional K-9 Trainer
Mike has over 16 years as a working dog trainer with experience in both service and sport dogs. Mike served with the Reedley Police Department for ten years as a K-9 handler and the department’s K-9 trainer. During this time Mike handled both patrol and a narcotics dog.
Upon retiring he handled an explosive detection dog for a private security contracting company.
Steve Holidy
Helper/Decoy
Steve began training dogs at a very young age. He has trained dogs for a variety of purposes from hunting hounds and bird dogs, to schutzhund dogs and now police K-9s. Steve has attended seminars across the U.S. and stays current on the most effective K-9 training methods. He has trained with top competitors from club level to world champions. He has had one on one training with Germany’s Director of Canine Training/Agitating. Steve works with a number of K-9 training clubs and associations as their expert in agitation training, and has helped design agitation scenarios for numerous K-9 trials. He also works with the Western States Police Canine Association and was Agitator of The Year in 2005. He was also an agitator for the Police and Fire Games in 2004 and 2005. Steve has raised and trained canines that are now at work for police agencies in California and in Florida. He has over twenty years of experience training and agitating canines. Steve now works for VCSi helping to train K-9s for law enforcement agencies in California.
CA LEP Region 6
Regional K-9 Trainer’s Bios Coming Soon.
Pat Kropholler
Director of Interdiction Training
Pat Kropholler has been a sworn peace officer for seventeen years. He is currently a Detective with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. He is assigned as an Agent with the NSI Cal-MMET, (North State Initiative California Multi-jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team) task force. Pat is also a TLO (Terrorism Liaison Officer) for the Sheriff’s Office through the Regional Threat Assessment Center, (RTAC) and holds SECRET level clearance through the Department of Homeland Security. He has been either the lead investigator or assisted in hundreds of cases involving contraband smuggling with domestic and/or international ties to significant DTO’s (Drug Trafficking Originations). These cases have resulted in the seizure of thousands of pounds of controlled substances and millions of dollars in drug currency. Over his years as an interdiction officer Pat has developed tactics and techniques used to identify the contraband smuggler when they are most vulnerable; while in transit.
Pat has been instrumental in the drafting of policies and procedures used as a model to other interdiction programs including the one used by his current agency. He has testified in the state and federal court systems regarding major drug/currency smuggling cases and the role contraband detection K-9’s serve in these incidents. He has set the standards on use of force documentation, proper report writing and record keeping skills needed to successfully prosecute interdiction and K-9 deployment cases.
Pat has served in his agencies K-9 program since 1997. He is the department’s Assistant K-9 Coordinator and Trainer and supervises a team of five handlers. He has been partnered with his current K-9 Maximus since 2002.
Stefanus Benecke
Corporate Trainer
Captain Stefanus Benecke, (ret.) is a 16-year veteran of the South African Police Services. Stefanus has over two decades of experience as a K-9 handler and trainer. He has handled and trained K-9s in patrol, narcotics detection, and explosive detection. Stefanus was the Commander of a National Component of the South African Police Dog School. As the Commander Stefanus managed and evaluated the training of hundreds of dog handlers and police officers. The types of courses provided were Tactical Training (scenario-based), tracking with dogs as well as basic and advanced visual tracking without dogs, and SWAT courses. While conducting training, Stefanus also took part in national level investigations of serious violent crimes where tracks were involved. During his tenure as the Commander of these courses, Stefanus was promoted to Captain.
After his service with the South African Police, Stefanus spent over five years working in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq Stefanus was employed as an explosive dog handler and training advisor for the Iraqi Police. While deployed to Afghanistan Stefanus worked for VCSi as the Country Trainer. His duties included training and certifying numerous explosive dog handlers as well as a number of narcotics dog handlers. These handlers were deployed throughout the country of Afghanistan providing security for the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF), multiple Embassies, and critical infrastructure such as the international airport and the main power plant.
Click here for more on Stefanus Benecke.
NEVADA
Jim McNeill
Regional K-9 Trainer
Jim is currently the K-9 unit trainer for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office located in Reno, Nevada. Jim has been a peace officer with Washoe County for the last 14 ½ years. He retired from the military in 2004 after 21 years of service specializing in helicopter operations. He has handled and trained a single purpose K-9 and three dual-purpose K-9’s during the last 12 years. Jim currently handles a K-9 being patrol / EOD certified.
Jim has served as the K-9 unit trainer for the last 6 years and recently completed an extensive 8 week K-9 trainer’s course in December of 2010. He is a California POST evaluator and currently assists several agencies with their required maintenance training, scenario development, and evaluations.
Jim has handled K-9’s within the detention, patrol, tactical, and EOD environments.
ARIZONA
Vince Bingaman
State Director
Arizona State Director, Vince Bingaman
Vince has been with the Phoenix Police Department since 1986. He has been with the department’s K-9 unit since 1996. Vince is currently the lead trainer for the department’s K-9 unit and his responsibilities include team selection and training to produce street ready canine teams. Vince currently teaches a basic academy as well as advanced high risk tracking and search techniques. These classes include SWAT/K-9 integration and helped develop fugitive apprehension techniques involving tactical teams and K-9.
Vince has taught all over North America. He specializes in problem solving and high risk tracking. He is currently working his third dog and has been involved in hundreds of armed suspect searches including OIS’s and serial suspects. Currently he is a certifying official and instructor for the National Police Canine Association and he is an instructor for the Arizona Law Enforcement Canine Association. Vince has attended numerous handler courses, decoy courses, and SWAT instruction courses. This has given Vince the ability to teach all levels of patrol K-9. Vince can customize K-9 training to meet the needs of the team and accomplish the objectives of the law enforcement agency.
COLORADO
Doug Church
State Director
Doug has been with the Denver Police Department for 30 yrs. He has been with the Denver Police Department K-9 unit for 20 yrs. and have been the K-9 unit trainer for 16 yrs. His responsibilities have included assisting in the purchase and selection of dogs, and to train all new handlers coming into the unit. He also assists in the ongoing maintenance training of the departments K-9 unit. He is currently handling his fourth dog. Doug has worked two German Shepherds, a Dutch Shepherd and a Belgian Malinois in both patrol and narcotics detection. He has also trained an explosive detection dog for the unit.
He is currently the president of the Colorado Police Canine Association and was instrumental in establishing the association standards as acceptable to Colorado P.O.S.T. He has been involved in the training and certification of teams in the association which is currently over 100.
Doug has served on the Standards and Training Committee for the National Police Canine Association since 2002 and has instructed at several of the national seminars involving hundreds of K-9 teams from across the nation.
He is a trainer and certifying official for the National Police Canine Association, as well as a Judge and instructor with Utah P.O.S.T ,and a certifying official for the Colorado Police Canine Association.
MICHIGAN
John Skalski
State Director
John retired from the Detroit Police Department after 31 years of service. He was a canine handler for 30 years handling a patrol K-9, narcotics K-9, an explosive detection K-9, and a human remains dog. John served as the K-9 trainer for the Detroit Police Department for 27 years.
From 1998-2001 John was the chief K-9 trainer for the Oakland Community College police academy K-9 training department. He is also a nationally certified trainer and judge for the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA). He was a former President of the USPCA for region and was also a member of the national board of directors for the USPCA. John also served as the Chairman of the USPCA Trainers Committee for 12 years.
John is recognized as an expert witness in both Federal court and municipal court in the area of police service dogs, as a trainer and handler.
Click here for more on John Skalski
NORTH CAROLINA
David Onley
State Director
David entered the US Air Force in 1991. While in the Air Force he became a K-9 handler. In 1998 David was employed with the Statesville Police Department. In 2001 he was selected as a K-9 Handler. David has handled patrol K-9’s narcotics K-9’s and explosive K-9′s throughout his career. In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and in 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Captain. He is currently a shift commander and supervisor for the K-9 division.
He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and in addition to his police responsibilities; he is the Director of Security at Iredell Memorial Hospital here in Statesville N.C.
Jason York
Regional K-9 Trainer
Jason is a Sergeant with the Statesville Police department in North Carolina. He is in charge of a Patrol Squad as well as the K-9 Unit. He has been handling and training police canines for over 8 years. He is a nationally accredited trainer with the American Police Canine Association and is in the process of receiving his Master Trainer accreditation.
Jason has handled a dual-purpose patrol/narcotics canine and a narcotics canine working patrol as well as narcotics and highway interdiction. Jason is a 10 year veteran of the Police Department. He has handled a K-9 for the majority of his career. He is on the executive board of the American Police Canine Association dealing with team awards. Jason is responsible for training multiple agencies in North Carolina.
OKLAHOMA
Justin Adams
State Director
Justin has been in Law Enforcement since 1999 in southeast Oklahoma. He has handled labs and german shepherds in law enforcement, as well as handling several other breeds in the private sector. Justin has experience handling narcotic detection dogs, explosive detection dogs, contraband detection dogs, tracking and trailing dogs, as well as patrol dogs. He is a Police Officer for the Poteau Oklahoma Police Department.
Justin also has experience as being a State Dog Evaluator for the Oklahoma Council of Law Enforcement Education and Training, which is the certifying agency for dogs in the State of Oklahoma. Justin has taught countless hours of K-9 resources not only to other handlers but to the general population as well.
OREGON
John Eckhart
State Director
Oregon State Director, John Eckhart
John has over 30 years of experience as a police officer in Oregon. John promoted through the ranks of the Portland Police Bureau retiring as the Assistant Chief of Police in 2010. He is currently the detection dog trainer for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.
John began his police canine career in 1986 as a Police Service Dog Handler. John has worked and trained Patrol Dogs, Cross Trained Dogs and Single Purpose Detection Dogs for over 20 years. He started Portland’s Detection Dog Program in 1991 and handled the first Detection Dog for the Portland Police Bureau.
John is a two-term past president of the Oregon Police Canine Association (OPCA) where he started the Detection Dog component of that association. John authored the State of Oregon Police Animal Protection Legislation which created the law that makes it a Felony Crime to kill or seriously injure a Police Animal; to include Dogs, Horses, etc. John is a Certifying Official for the Pacific Northwest Police Canine Association and a Master Trainer for the Oregon Police Canine Association. He has served as a judge in the World Police Fire Olympics K-9 competition as well as numerous other competitive canine events.
John holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from Portland State University.
WASHINGTON
Duanne Hinrichs
State Director
Washington State Director, Duanne Hinrichs
Duanne has been a Police Officer with Olympia Police Department for the last 16 years. He has worked 11 years in K9. Duanne has handled three K-9s in his career, one dual purpose K9 Patrol/Narcotics, and two patrol K-9s. Duanne is know as an expert in Tracking and Scent Discrimination training.
Duanne is a Master K-9 Trainer for the Washington State Police Canine Association. He is also a Master Trainer for the Thurston County K9 teams, which consist of 6 teams. He has helped numerous departments establish K-9 units and help to write their department’s K-9 policies.
